Read my reviews of previous books in the Trophy Doms Social Club series:
Humbled (#1) | Edged (#2) | Praised (#3) | Bound (#4)
Barclay may be the final member of the Trophy Doms Social Club to fall, but Hawthorne brings this series full circle with yet another unique twist on the relationship and eventual romance between him and Val. After all, Barclay was really the first to find his match (at least as an adult), and readers have quietly understood how he and Val were inevitable from the first installment of this series. The men in question deal with a certain amount of denial first, with Barclay being the primary source of the “idiots in love” vibes I adore. That being said, Val isn’t an unfortunate casualty when he’s just as guilty of being unable to separate what he wants from what he needs in an actual relationship with Barclay.
At its core, this book is very much about the individual relationship between Barclay and Val, but introducing a potential new love interest is the inciting event that launches this arc. Keeping this review spoiler-free means not giving away certain details, but I can safely say that this is not an MMM book… but it’s also not, not an MMM story, thanks to Hawthorne’s usual deftness with storytelling that always pushes the limits of reader expectations in the best way possible. If the title didn’t make it obvious, readers who request “no sharing” in their book recommendations probably won’t be in a hurry to read this story. This is a shame because this novel features an excellent examination of the particular nuances of what defines an “open” relationship. This primarily involves how the way a relationship functions is about the needs and wants of the parties involved and not the opinions of those outside of it.
Developing a friendship with this new character leads to Barclay and Val finally facing one of the greatest hurdles to what an actual relationship between them might look like. Mainly, the acceptance that consensual non-monogamy will remain an integral part of their lifestyle. Before that, of course, Hawthorne throws both men into the deep end of the angst pool. Barclay’s willingness to strip himself emotionally bare to keep Val despite his certainty that everything will go wrong is heart-wrenching in all the best ways. Even more importantly, however, this willingness leads to excellent character development on more than the romance front when acknowledging his love for Val makes Barclay re-evaluate every important relationship in his life (for the better).
After all, the heart of this series lies in the strength of the friendship between the members of the Trophy Doms Social Club as they support each other through the changing natures of their lives. That support may come in the form of bickering, kitchen whiskey, and hard truths, but these men set a high bar for #friendshipgoals in both Hawthorne’s next series and any other collection of books that centers around this sort of found family.
Side note: I appreciate that Hawthorne makes canon what I’ve been saying from book 1 and that Grayson can now officially be my favorite Trophy Dom.
Disclaimer: I received a digital review copy of this book from the author.
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